Causes of Acute Respiratory Failure
Type 1 Respiratory Failure | Type 2 Respiratory Failure |
---|---|
Pneumonia | Reduced central respiratory drive |
Pulmonary embolism | Sedative drugs, for example opiates/opioids, benzodiazepines, alcohol |
Acute exacerbation of COPD | Head trauma |
Acute exacerbation of asthma | Space-occupying CNS lesion |
Pulmonary fibrotic lung disease | Cerebrovascular accident |
Pulmonary oedema (heart failure) | Neuromuscular and thoracic wall disease |
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) | Cervical cord lesion |
Pneumothorax | Guillain-Barré syndrome |
Myasthenia gravis | |
Poliomyelitis | |
Diaphragmatic paralysis | |
Flail chest | |
Chest wall deformity (acute on chronic) | |
Respiratory disease | |
Acute upper airway obstruction (foreign body or reduced conscious level) | |
Acute exacerbation of COPD | |
Severe life-threatening asthma | |
Pneumothorax | |
Factors that can worsen respiratory failure of any cause | |
Sedative drugs: benzodiazepines, opioids | |
Aspiration of secretions or gastric contents | |
Respiratory muscle fatigue | |
Low cardiac output | |
Severe obesity | |
Chest wall abnormality, for example kyphoscoliosis | |
Large pleural effusion | |
Pneumothorax |